The Halloween Kids (TV series)
The Halloween Kids is a Canadian-American TV series that aired from 2000-2002 on Fox Kids in the US and YTV in Canada, based on the books by Elliot Strange. It was produced by Gecko Studios and Random Meats Productions, in association with Paradox Media (publisher of the book series), Adelaide Productions (first season) and Mercury Filmworks (second season). The show was relatively unknown in the states. Episodes aired late on Fridays and due to minimal promotion, it failed to get many viewers and concluded after the first season. However, it was far more successful in Canada, earning a second and a Gemini Award nomination for its series finale. In recent years the series earned a cult following. Production The series started in late 2000, with a pilot telefilm and a sneak preview episode coming out less than a month after. The first season lasted throughout 2001 and the second season began in 2002, ending late in that year. Rather than utilizing a single roster of actors from a single talent union, the show utilized a large roster of voice actors that spanned not only talent unions throughout Vancouver and Ontario, but has also used American actors and regular Canadian actors. The animation was produced at Adelaide Productions for a single season. They dropped out when the season drew to a close, but due to the show getting picked up for a second season, Mercury Filmworks was commissioned to produce the animation. In spite of no longer producing the animation, Adelaide's parent company, Columbia Tristar Television, maintained its position as a distributor. The first season was the only one to air in the United States. The entire series aired on YTV in Canada and proved to be somewhat more successful in that country. The show ended due to its principal production companies going out of business in 2002. Plot The show is set in the fictional Belbury Village, based in Woolstock County in New England. Belbury is home to relatively weird individuals and monsters, and is said to have been founded by social outcasts and freaks as their own sanctuary. The "weird ones" and the "norms" live in harmony, but often go separately depending on certain circumstances. Belbury is set in a fictionalized state, referred to as New England. New England is set right above Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine and boarders New Brunswick. In general, the series focuses on The Halloween Kids, a group of children who live in Belbury and investigate supernatural occurrences, experimentations and myths, intervening when necessary. They are unknowingly spied upon by the Elites, an illuminati-esque group proceeded over by the most influential students at Belbury Middle School. The school itself is home to a wide array of bizarre children, allowing the Halloween Kids leverage in carrying out their plan of the day and just be themselves. In season 2, Strange added in new aspects to increase viewer participation. Fans were able to send fan letters, drawings and questions to Strange via his website or through the mail at a temporary address and would be read and answered at the end of each episode, with the sender receiving credit. Strange also encouraged viewers to send in designs for background characters that would appear in new episodes. Structure Episodes typically begin with a cold open. The openings tend to have nothing to do with the plot (save for certain instances where they establish certain characters or give an implication for what's to come. Episodes feature a mix of horror elements and tongue-in-cheek humor, something attributed to the resume of the head writers on the show. There's a mild sense of continuity between the episodes, namely applying toward the characters where they either become friends with anyone in the main gang or go through development that sticks throughout the remainder of the series. For instance, Colleen starts out as a very shy girl, but throughout the series she becomes more confident and even stands up to her parents when they intended to break her in order to encourage her to be stronger. Characters The Halloween Kids The Halloween Kids are a gang of children encompassing multiple personalities and means of handling situations. When conceiving the characters, Strange claimed that the usage of a large main cast was done to focus on a family dynamic, where all development effects the group who put aside their hierarchal differences for the good of their home town. Their biggest connection is that fact that all were born in October, and are descendants of supernatural beings that laid the groundwork for New England's foundation. While they had no recollection of their original upbringing, they felt the need to remain together and solve all supernatural issues in their town. They were virtually unchanged from their book counterparts. *'Alison Meeks (Mae Whitman):' The leader of the Halloween Kids. Alison is a spunky talkative girl and the leader of the Halloween Kids. She is knowledgeable on everything obscure or irrelevant to what's currently happening, with a varying payoff. Since she was the first to discover the club's first monster, she had leeway in becoming their leader. While generally optimistic, Alison also tends to be somewhat moody and short-tempered. She also tends to be somewhat selfish whenever an opportunity comes for her to gain power, leading to people turning against her, even Colleen. She wears shades frequently, done to cover her disfigured set of eyes which she believed was caused by a rare eye disorder, but it was caused by a pact her family made with the Headless Inspectre to preserve their lives, leading to disfigurement on their next born child as a permanent reminder to never invoke his wrath. Alison is from Belfast, Maine. *'Colleen Dixon (Melissa Fahn):' Colleen is Alison's best friend. Like Alison, Colleen was originally from America, hailing from Denver, Colorado. Colleen is a somewhat shy girl who takes on a deadpan persona when she's forced to interact with others. Colleen stuck with Alison because the latter understood her better and is helping build her self-esteem. She wants to become a stronger individual and learn to fight her own battles in order to be like her parents. Colleen is typically the voice of reason or one who'd rather gawk at certain things, but she tends to be just as bad, often worse than Alison when she loses control. *'Sam Bliss (Julie Lemieux):' A girl who's into magic and planting and is also a bookworm. It's revealed that she's a witch, but she keeps it under wraps so she could make friends easier and maintain a normal life. Sam is a bit of a hippie, frequently going out into nature and tending to her own greenhouse. She is often the victim of pranks and various annoyances spurred by Julie and Devlin, but she tries not to let them get to her. *'Julie Dallow (Jenn Forgie):' A punk girl who often takes the role of a contrarian. She used to be a prominent street rat until she got the chance to turn her life around. Julie holds a strong moral compass and sticks up for much weaker individuals, though she tends to be very sarcastic to most people. Her exterior hides the fact that she was once a weak girl who felt as though she had little to contribute to the world. A girl of simple pleasures, Julie's into alternative music and considers a fun afternoon visiting a comic book shop and getting a cheeseburger and a chocolate shake. Julie was reportedly the most popular character in the series. *'Jerry Sandoval (Ian James Corlett):' A somewhat cowardly boy. Next to the Dobsons, he's one of the only boys in the Halloween Kids, something he forgives since he's weak by nature. In spite of his cowardice, he has a strong love of extra terrestrials, carried down from his father. When he met Jenny, he was grateful when she became his friend and offered to protect her to build his confidence. While he is a caring boy, he only applies it to people he feels matter more than him, which are very few. *'Jenny Sandoval (Carrie Finlay):' An alien girl who was sent to Earth by her family due to miscommunication between them and their overlord. She landed in Belbury and befriended Jerry, who was the only human who wasn't afraid of her. She is taken in by Ned and treated as if he was her own. Because of her lack of experience on Earth, Jenny comes off as somewhat naive and may engage in acts normal to her, but too bizarre for everyone else. *'Becky Proctor (Lisa Ng):' Becky was born on a farm and is somewhat naive to city culture, but she finds her way through constant help from the Halloween Kids. She was the daughter of the founder of the Cult of Wolves and shared her father's misanthropic view of humanity until she met the Halloween Kids, whom encouraged her to give humanity a second chance. Becky kept her werewolf affliction with the intent of using it for good. Under this guise she is more headstrong and arrogant, with different moods taking control depending on the phase of the moon. Unlike traditional werewolves, Becky can change at will, but she's forced to change every full moon. She develops a crush on Randall after he stands up for her and the two get together into the second season. After her home in Chester gets destroyed, she is taken in by the Slaatskies and becomes part of their family. As the series progresses, Becky becomes progressively stronger, affecting both her human and werewolf form. *'Emily Blythe (Britt Irvin):' A nerdy girl who was infamous for throwing her former friends under the bus to avoid scrutiny. Everyone hated her and bullied her relentlessly, but it all came to a heed after a lab accident mutated her, along with Julie. The kids, with the aid of Stephy while she herself was afflicted help her and induct her into their group. Since then, she has tried to better herself and seems to have succeeded, though she still fears she will return to old habits. She has kept her affliction in order to have a weapon at her disposal, though she rarely used it unless it was crucial. Along with her affiliation with the Halloween Kids, she is also part of Julie's gang of friends. *'Jupiter Slaatsky ('Andrea Libman'):' The youngest in the Slaatsky family. Jupiter is a bubbly naive girl who gives insight whether the people around her want to hear it or not. In spite of her demeanor clashing heavily with her circle of friends, she is still treated as an equal, with her friends viewing her constant optimism as a way to maintain emotional balance. In the second season she becomes a member of the Halloween Kids after she defeats Suzy in a fight. The Perrino Elites The Perrino Elites are a secret society, one of the most feared in Alison's school. They exist to provide a protection racket for the more dominant social groups, namely bullies (preferably bullies with higher intelligence than others), divas, jocks and those with professional connections. They would seek anyone who annoys them and punish them based on the extent of their misdeed. In the books, they were an illuminati-esque group who closely monitored the activities of the Halloween Kids, believing that they will carry on the sinister legacy of their ancestors. Alison and the leader, Francis, became friends near the end of the first season, but Francis used this to closely monitor her and her group. * Francis Perrino (Antoinette Spolar): The leader of the Elites, as well as class president, best identified by her large head sporting a bulging vein. Francis is a well-rounded yet strict leader who at first despised the Halloween Kids, unbeknownst to them, but later changed her mind after seeing they weren’t a threat to school safety and especially since Alison saved her, as well as indirectly allowing Francis to maintain her position as class president.. She would often aid the Halloween Kids, provided she shares their desire to go through with whatever’s proposed. Francis is an aspiring director and is loosely based on Louis Peraino. She's from Montgomery, Alabama. * Ashley Yorke (Amber Hood): Grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, but later moved to Connecticut due to her parents believing that the former wasn't worth living in. She tends to be cocky, especially when it comes to competitive events and is also a very hard player, but she lacks humility, especially when she's on the losing end. Ashley used to be Alison's best friend but both grew apart over the years, not helped by Ashley's competitive nature, but eventually became friends with Fiona. She suffers from arachnophobia. * Fiona Kennedy (Sandy Fox): Francis' other friend. Fiona seems to lack mental stability, showing no reluctance to bring about cruel and unusual punishments to anyone who crosses Francis or any of the other elites. Also tends to act like a dog, something she does to get attention. She is revealed to be poor and lives in a trailer park. Fiona is part-Polish and originally came from Bristol, Tennessee. She is much closer to Ashley, and tends to spend more time with her on and off the clock. * Ruth Dinsdale (Tabitha St. Germain): She has an affinity for producing artwork and is often tasked with drawing mugshots or making a visual reference for whomever tasks her. Ruth has a disturbing habit of rolling her eyes into the back of her head and manically cackling while drawing, something she claims cuts down on distractions. Ruth was born in Laurel, Mississippi, but was soon abandoned by her parents in a swamp and raised by alligators, giving her bizarre facial features. Ruth is very close to Francis, their friendship being the equivalent to Alison and Colleen's. *'Angela Asbrew (Vanessa Morley):' A bully and female foil to Dante, as well as Kerry’s niece. Angela is a bit of a loner and generally anti-social. This was brought on by a troubled home life. She left her parents after they showed indifference to when she got separated from them and was sent to live with Kerry via a court order. Kerry was worse at raising her, since he failed to teach her properly and more or less used her as a pawn to teach Pamela lessons through grim morality tales. Angela is afraid of sticking with what she says to her elders because she believes it led to her string of poor luck finding better parents, and she has been shown to have a lack of mental stability, brought on by low self-esteem. At the end of the series, Kerry loses custody of her and Pamela and she is sent to live with Hanneke. Among her interests, she enjoys playing the piano. *'Dante Ahrens (Tony Sampson):' A bully of a mild nature. Dante doesn't seek to harm anyone unless they provoke him, or if someone hires him to. Over the course of the series, Dante attempts to better himself after feeling out of sync with his social status. He and Emily get into a relationship, both getting along thanks to both struggling to distance themselves from their pasts. Dante's appearance is based after Chevelle vocalist Pete Loeffler. *'Georgina Sutcliffe (Tabitha St. Germain):' The school diva. Georgina originally hailed from Yorkshire and was a sheltered, boarding school attendee from a well-off family until they lost ownership of the school. They moved to New Brunswick to start a new life and their daughter would be forced to attend public school. Georgina is a girly-girl, slightly naive due to her still-developing grip on the middle-class town and was nasty for a while, but slowly changed throughout the series. Georgina is a curious girl who isn't afraid to get dirty every now and again, and has a bizarre fondness for gross things. This helped her become friends with Jenny, who considers most gross things on Earth a delicacy, as well as Sam who's work revolves around gross things. A running gag throughout the series is that Georgina always gets hit in the head by a ball. *'Phoebe Corkery (Erin Fitzgerald):' Georgina's best friend. Her appearance and social skills conflict with Georgina's standards, but she makes up for it in being much crueler. Phoebe is a misanthropic, manipulative and sociopathic girl who has managed to get her way by any means possible, particularly to get out of whatever trouble she's in. Her disgust for the world stems from the death of one of her closest friends, one she felt she could've prevented. Beyond that, she doesn't hold contempt toward the Elites or the Halloween Kids. *'Elizabeth Yuzna (Chantal Strand):' A film and book enthusiast who's within Georgina's circle of friends. Elizabeth's obsession with film puts her at odds with other people, given that she is often vehemently critical of well-regarded films or shows, preferring more obscure, less warmly received fare. When she is independent of Georgina, she seems to be the leader of the trio and often coordinates whatever happens for the day. It's revealed that Elizabeth rarely ever bathes. Elizabeth's last name is sourced from Brian Yuzna, the directer of Silent Night, Deadly Night 4. This represents Elizabeth going against the norm, like in Brian's case, making a film in a series that conflicts with the theme of the rest of the series. *'Dolly Kitrosser (Ashley Taylor):' A bubbly girl. Dolly frequently adds "totally" to every sentence she says, to the annoyance of most, though people generally tolerate it. Dolly seems to be none too bright, though most episodes show that she's smarter than she seems. Dolly was abandoned as a child and was taken in by her future father Luther per a revelation on his part. She encouraged him (and later Laney) to clean up their lives and they received a hefty fortune from the Perrinos, making them cash rich. Dolly's last name comes from Martin Kitrosser, director of Silent Night, Deadly Night 5. This represents an attempt at staying with the source material, but still coming off as different. Dolly tries to be like everyone else but falls short most of the time. *'Randall Bench (Richard Ian Cox):' A smooth-talking boy who's obsessed with money. Randall is a perfectionist who intends to earn everything through hard work and honesty, but there're times he abandons those principals for a stronger payout. He does work for hire, but has a steady job as a sweeper and a delivery boy. He also has a love interest in Becky, whom he indirectly helped redeem herself. Randall was born in Staten Island, New York. It's said that Randall's characterization is an amalgamation of Billy Joel and Frank Sinatra, especially the former. *'Tiberius Kurt (Daniel DeSanto):' A jock who's part of the school's football team. He is a strategic thinker and serves as a bodyguard alongside Dante and Damien. He's a stickler for fair play and victory, but he doesn't possess the same mentality as other jocks, preferring to keep to himself and improvise when it comes to on-field procedures. *'Wayland Williams (Dexter Bell):' Another member of the football team, albeit as a towel boy and equipment manager. He manages to be much smarter than the other jocks which, along with his connection to a dating hotline (his mother reportedly works as a caller there), enables him to maintain a stranglehold on the football team. Wayland seems to be desperate to do as little work as possible, preferring to take shortcuts, but unlike others who feel this way he's a lot more subtle about it. It's implied that he's a nationalist who hates his own race. He's part Egyptian and lived in Bristol, Tennessee. *'Tommy Kadic (Steven Crowder):' Marie's twin brother. He is high-strung and almost always speaks in an eloquent fashion, leading to ridicule from the others. He is also very cunning and manipulative, something his social circle uses to a positive advantage. Tommy gets along very well with Marie, and both work together the most often, even making a pact that if they couldn't land their dream jobs by the time they become adults, they would get a job together. Tommy and Marie were subject to an experimental drug when their mother was pregnant in an attempt to prevent a miscarriage. It granted them the ability to up their strength. Tommy went through a delayed reaction. *'Marie Kadic (Sarah Gadon):' Tommy's twin sister, who has the ability to advance her strength following an unwitting banishment to the Pixel Dimension (actually a furthering of a birth drug she was given before her birth, along with Tommy). She served as the antagonist in the first episode, but after getting freed and regaining control of her old emotions, she redeemed herself and saved the Halloween Kids from the Werewolf Cult in the second episode. She goes on to join the Perrino Elites after getting reunited with Tommy, and helps maintain that the Halloween Kids aren't a threat. Marie is a tomboy who loves video games and baseball. Akin to Tommy who speaks in eloquent slang, she speaks in gangster slang. *'Mandy Stanton (Tabitha St. Germain):' Randall's cousin. She's a fan of the paranormal and carries an ouija board with her in a brief case. She acts as the team's secretary and enjoys a relatively private life. Mandy is overly protective of Randall, having watched him when he was younger, often to a suffocating extent. She has somewhat of a rivalry with Becky. The Raven Stakes A now retired supernatural investigation team. They grew apart following a devastating attack on what turned out to be innocent spirits who wanted to aid the Stakes. Kerry, their succeeding leader, denied everything that happened that day, to the disgust of his former allies who deserted him soon after. One of the members were sent to the Detendimension as a last-ditch effort to seal away the spirits of G.R.A.Z.. Following the destruction of their homes in Later Half, Here I Come, they take residence in Cosmo's house. * Kerry Hubbard (Andrew Kavadas): The uncle/father of Angela and Pamela respectively. Kerry has never been popular in Belbury, especially with Cosmo who shares an antagonistic friendship with him, as with the other adults. Kerry is a sociopathic, hypocritical, dementedly moralistic, mean-spirited man who always goes into things blindly just to spite whoever annoys him. His obsession with morality puts him at odds with Angela, thanks to her more rebellious nature. His actions often lead to him getting beaten up or arrested, but none of these have ever deterred him. Kerry was once married to Hope Chapley, through a shotgun marriage, but he broke up with her due to her being more unhinged than him. Kerry gradually improves as the series progresses and he becomes more self-aware and willing to change. In The Christmas Kids, it's revealed that Kerry's Jewish. Kerry also seems to be modeled after comedian Jerry Stiller. * Cosmo Kadic (Roger Dunn): He's the principal at the kids' school and is the father of Tommy and Marie. Cosmo is an eccentric and strict individual, but is also reasonable. Cosmo used to be part of the Raven Stakes, but dropped out along the others and sought to make a living for himself, marrying his childhood friend which got comprised when the Headless Inspectre possessed her and made her leave him. He hates Kerry for a number of reasons, though many of them are strongly justified. Kerry has bullied Cosmo vehemently when he was younger and made him miss crucial events, he stole Daphne and nearly got her killed in high school and he often serves as an obstacle when it comes to passing laws or standards that conflict with his social liberal views (Cosmo holds moderate conservative views.) Kerry also frequently demands things from Cosmo due to him being friends with the Perrinos in spite of Cosmo frequently denying him. The two reconcile after Kerry admits to what he did wrong, with Cosmo admitting that their quarrels was, in a way, an attempt at keeping some kind of relationship between them alive. Cosmo was born and raised in Racine, Wisconsin. Cosmo is the only adult character to appear in every episode in the series. * Lars Perrino (Tony Rosato): Francis' father and the current successor to the Perrino estate. He got convicted following the disbandment of the Stakes due to mounting charges from his mafia days, but got out after agreeing to a plea bargain where he would reveal the locations of still-active members of his crime family. He served his family and the Stakes and is very similar to his daughter in terms of interests and means of operating. Over the years he has become a lot more honorable and committed to being a respected official in Belbury. Lars is a member of the state legislator and is a registered republican. * Ned Sandoval (Hiro Kanagawa, imitating Jerry Seinfeld): The brains of the team and Jerry and Jenny's father. He rarely speaks unless it's to someone of an equal intellect. He has a bit of an ego problem and tends to annoy the other members just by being present in the room, so to annoy him back, they often laugh off whatever ideas he has, so long as they could salvage a plan of their own. Ned's obsessed with aliens, which annoys the others to no end and prevents him from holding a closer connection to Bob and Cosmo. Ned has had two jobs between the show's two seasons, the first was an electrician, the second was a science teacher at a prestigious school outside of Belbury. He gets together with Dallas at the start of the second season. * Bob Dixon (Howard Jerome): The team's brawn, and Colleen's father. For a time, he was the strongest man in Belbury, best known for his dexterity and better resistance to pain. This was compromised when he was involved in a car accident a year after the Stakes disbanded, breaking his back and both of his ankles in the process. Years of recovery rendered him out of shape and he walks with the aid of a cane. Bob seems to have no issue with Cosmo, and vice versa. Bob is somewhat depressed, thanks to his injury and is embittered over his past, also blaming Kerry for everything that happened (which enabled him to keep his friendship with Cosmo.) Bob's interests include fishing, checkers and poker. He came from Anderson, Missouri. * Boris Slaatsky (Long John Baldry): Hanneke's husband and the father of Selma, Anita, Mercury and Jupiter. Boris is a Russian immigrant who met Hanneke when she was doing a report, with a relationship soon blooming. He's an aspiring actor, which earned him a role as a disguise specialist. His experience with the Raven Stakes left him traumatized and it made him more distant from the others. Boris is a wise individual, but tends to be coarse and violent when provoked, but he tries to keep it under wraps when his friends are involved. G.R.A.Z. Ghostly Revenge Alliance... Zoinks!. The main antagonists of the series. * Headless Inspectre (Eugene Levy): The Headless Inspectre is the ghost of Blaine Matson, a renowned health inspector from the 1950s. He was killed in 1971 by a vengeful butcher after Blaine gave him a poor review. Prior to this, he practiced heavily in black magic to ensure that he would maintain power and return to humanity in some form were anything to happen to him. Because of this, his severed head became cursed and his spirit roamed free until the Raven Stakes imprisoned it in a book, which Suzy freed him from. Blaine's head was buried beneath an oak tree set on the highest point in Belbury. To whomever reunites his head with his body, he will become their servant, only for the reverse to happen. * Sorrow (Harvey Atkin): Ghost of Richard Darsey, the leader of the Raven Stakes and Alison's biological father. He was the son of the butcher that killed Blaine Matson. Following his father's conviction, Richard walked the line between sanity and insanity, gradually going towards the latter after the Headless Inspectre was discovered. During the battle with the ethereal Halloween Kids, Richard saw the Headless Inspectre as the reason for his decaying sanity and persevered in attacking the kids, believing them to be active pawns. Wracked with guilt after learning that the assault was in vein, he succumbs to the influence of the Headless Inspectre and becomes Sorrow, with his guilt manifesting into his form. Richard was put into a coma and his body acted as a tether. Had the Headless Inspectre not been imprisoned, Richard would've served as a double agent. After the Headless Inspectre finds peace, Richard is promptly revived. * The Wicked Mind Reaper (Saffron Henderson): A witch who's a master at mind manipulation. Her past life is a mystery, but it's heavily implied that her current form came about due to a lab accident. She makes her first appearance in Everything's Better than Ezra where she takes control of the prefects in an attempt to create an army, only to be done in by a loophole in her voodoo methods, where her words are stated while she faces her own picture. * Suzy Hellman (Catherine Disher): The prime antagonist. She's a cousin to the Slaatskies, a fact she kept under wraps to preserve her social image. A generally sour girl, Suzy seems to hate Elizabeth and Dolly, while holding milder contempt for the rest of the Elites, though apparently not enough to want for disassociation at the time. It's possible she got into the Elites because she believed Georgina was rich and it was too late for her to back out upon discovering it was no longer true. Her relationship with Elizabeth and Dolly seemed to only exist due to Dolly actually being rich. Suzy seems to hate anyone that she deems weird or are a blight on her visions for wealth and power, prompting her to claim no association to people of smaller social standings. She is in constant denial over her place in the school's social hierarchy, believing herself to be above everyone when she is actually one of the most hated in her school, generally being deemed well out of sync with the rest of her peers. She blew off Elizabeth and Dolly the exact moment she found a better crew to run with and nearly killed Jupiter in a fight because she revealed Suzy's connection to the Slaatskies. She later unleashes the Headless Inspectre in an attempt to destroy Belbury and restart it in her own image, unaware of the curse where he would claim her soul soon after. She finds a way out of this however, and takes control of the Spectre's domain, only to get imprisoned in his tome and burned out of existence. The Moms of Belbury As the title says, this is a social group consisting of mothers who live in Belbury. * Victoria Meeks (Saffron Henderson): Alison's mother, and the creator of the werewolf cult of Chester. Victoria is a shy woman who prefers to keep to herself, though it doesn't inhibit her from being involved with her circle of friends. She also has somewhat of a bizarre sense of humor and tends to laugh at her own jokes. Victoria retreated to Chester following the breakdown of her husband (who would later become Sorrow and a pawn to the Headless Inspectre), and worked to save the community after Kerry cut all support to farming communities throughout New England. As shown in New Meat, it culminated in an experimental procedure where she would enhance the more primal traits of the Chester residents, but it turned her into a werewolf due to chemical instability. Following the events of New Meat, she retreats into the woods, where Becky discovers her and the two work together to save the former's friends. After learning that her daughter was alive and misses her, Victoria gets the initiative to return to normal and remain so. * Amber Meeks (Catherine O'Hara): Alison's aunt, Yorba and Nixon's mother, Victoria's sister and the former's current guardian. She's a divorcee (previously married to Edgar), and is seemingly bitter over it, which affects her personality. Amber's generally cynical and apathetic, though she's willing to roll with whatever's thrown her way. Her relationship with Alison is more or less strained, but the two do care about each other and Amber's wiling to own up to her own faults. She reunited with Edgar in the second season. Amber's of Italian descent and her favorite musicians are Sheryl Crow and Fleetwood Mac. * Enid Dixon (Linda Kash): Colleen's mother. She is a stern mother figure, but only to what she deems to be the proper extent. She saw Colleen as a disappointment, but only to get her motivated to be a better person, but she later changes her tune and encourages Colleen to be proud of who she is. Enid was bulled throughout her youth, thanks to her height and awkwardness, which prompted her to lift weights to up her self-esteem, leading to her becoming a bodybuilder. She and Bob were childhood friends and dated for a while, but broke it off when Bob became part of the Raven Stakes, a group she wound up becoming the biggest critic for. After reencountering Bob, who had his back damaged, the two reconciled and moved to Denver, only to move back to Belbury. Enid is from Lowell, Arkansas. * Autumn (Patricia Drake): Sally's mother and Enid's best friend. Autumn is a childish woman who previously suffered from abuse at the hands of her own daughter, thanks to Autumn taking Kerry's advice on dealing with her, though she manages to regain control over her. She tends to be the most immature within Enid's circle, but she does mean well. In spite of her childish nature, she tends to be somewhat moody depending on the situation. * Delta Dallow (Ellen Ray Hennessy): Dakota's mother, and Artemis and Julie's grandmother. A writer and business woman who's the oldest amongst Enid's circle of friends. Delta was Enid's former English teacher who supposedly helped Enid when she was bullied as a kid, allowing their friendship to blossom. She's a rival to Ms. Chapley, but the former seems to be well above her. Delta seemed to serve as a foundation for Enid and Dakota’s fitness. * Hanneke Slaatsky (Terri Hawkes): A news reporter and the wife of Boris. While hungry for coverage that'd immortalize her in the world of news, she is honorable and humane when it comes to human decency. She's part German and seems to be the more modern thinking in her family (given that they live in a farmhouse and the family abides to farming customs.) Hanneke and Cosmo are good friends, and the former has become something of a foster mother to Tommy and Marie. * Dakota Dallow (Julie Lemieux): Delta's daughter and Artemis and Julie's mother. Dakota is a pro-wrestler who seems to be more obsessed with her body image than Enid, with the two serving as friendly rivals. In spite of her profession, Dakota lacks social skills and for a Time was very shy. She had to have Delta help her with social situations which is why Delta became a part of her circle. Dakota cares deeply for her kin, but her career prevented her from being there for them. * Dallas Hellman (Tabitha St. Germain): Hanneke's sister and Suzy's mother. Dallas is a vain individual, but has a good heart and knows not to overstep personal boundaries. She lost contact with Hanneke and the two gradually grew apart until Suzy's betrayal helped them to reconcile. Dallas becomes Ned's girlfriend after her first appearance. The Rogues A collection of teens who're rejected by more mainstream-thinking teenagers. They are generally neutral, though they have alligned with the Halloween Kids the few times both crossed paths. With the exception of the guys, the Rogues are affiliated with Julie and her friends. * Nicole Zam (Stacey DePass): A downbeat slacker who's into drawing. She hardly speaks and seems to hold contempt for everyone outside of her circle. She has a tendency to criticize whatever plans her friends come up with, spurred by social anxiety. Toward the end of her one major appearance, she promises to change for the better and makes due by treating her friends and the kids with respect. * Britney Slaatsky (Rachel Wilson): Into video games and claims to be the only girl to maintain record scores on arcade games. Britney is lazy and is more content with playing video games, something that gets on the nerves of her family and friends. She seems to always hold a dementedly calm demeanor no matter how bad something is, which she claims helps her think clearly in a dire situation. She's the middle child in the Slaatskies. * Mercury Slaatsky (Chiara Zanni): The eldest daughter in the Slaatsky family. She possesses a thick Russian accent, putting her in the same vein as her father. Mercury is vanity-laden, and tends to enforce her beliefs, resorting to violent yet comical deeds whenever she's challenged. She's one of two characters to change her outfit in the second season, the other being Emily, but Mercury's is far more drastic. Janyse Jaud was originally cast as her, but Strange was unsatisfied with Jaud's attempt at a Russian accent. * Yorba and Nixon Frost (Alyson Court and Michael Eklund respectively): Twin siblings who’re Alison's cousins and Amber’s children. Both have interests that span different genres, Yorba is a science fiction enthusiast and has flipped flopped between being goth and overly geeky, but she has since found a middle ground between both personalities. Nixon is more reserved and cynical and enjoys horror. Both feuded in Da Blob, but have reconciled. * Artemis Dallow (Megan Fahlenbock): Julie's older sister. A responsible girl who futilely serves as a voice of reason for her otherwise uncooperative friends. In spite of this, Artemis frequency has bouts of anger, usually inflicted whenever she realizes someone's being dishonest (especially when it comes to people covering their tracks in terms of questionable relationships.) Artemis' sexuality has been questioned several times throughout the series, and it's possible her anger comes from her being unable to come to grips with her own sexual preferences. * Denise Dixon (Stephanie Morgenstern): Colleen's cousin. She has mostly appeared as a background character in the first season and it wasn't made clear that she had any relation to Colleen until Suziopath where she was present with the Dixons. Denise is a shy quiet girl, but thanks to those factors she is also somewhat intelligent. People go to her for advice, which annoys her because she's reluctant to talk to people. It's possible she's in a relationship with Artemis, done through subtle hints given throughout the series, though it's equally possible that it's entirely one-sided. * Seth Walsh (Dan Petronijevic): Seth is effeminate and somewhat obnoxious, being a prime source of annoyance for his friends. He seems to have had a troubled childhood, where he has emotional fits whenever certain topics are discussed, and like Artemis, his sexuality is also a source of debate. * Malcolm Langley (Yannick Bisson): He's in a relationship with Britney, something that isn't mentioned but shown heavily. He is mostly self-absorbed, though he keeps this to himself. Malcolm is head-strong and defiant per any challenge, always trying to accomplish anything just to look good. While he does physically harm others, it ironically saves the victims from a worse fate, though it leads to awkward situations when Malcolm is credited to it. * Anita Slaatsky (Carly McKillip): The happier of the teens. She is a animal lover and a child at heart,and is somewhat naive as well. She is defiant toward the teens whenever they try to get rid of her (which is common since they view her bubbly demeanor as a blight on their more grim perspective on life). However, she isn’t hated by them and they don’t make any effort to keep her out of their circle. When provoked however, she tends to be very violent and it’s difficult for any of her victims to subdue her. She's the second oldest daughter in the Slaatskies. * Ezra Slaatsky (Chuck Campbell): The eldest child in the Slaatsky family as well as the only son. Ezra is an introvert who enjoys partying, science fiction and fantasy, though the latter three is ususally lost on those around him because of his attitude. He was close to Mercury, but the two faced friction due to Ezra going to live with Dallas, but like her, he reaffirms his affiliation with the Slaatskies after discovering how evil Suzy was. * Vange (Erin Fitzgerald): An apathetic depressed girl who originally acted as a background character, later becoming an alternate in the Rogues. She's somewhat similar to Nicole. Other Prominent Charaters * Jerv and Preston Binder (Richard Newman and Len Carlson respectively): A pair who seems to be affiliated with the Perrinos. They often do work for hire, namely through Cosmo, but they also enjoy a casual relationship with the men. Jerv is the more reserved of the two (and seemingly the eldest), while Preston's more excitable and has an addiction to caffeine. Their relationship is ambiguous, they're seemingly brothers but it's possible that they're a couple. * Pamela Hubbard (Tracey Moore): Angela's cousin. Pamela is an optimistic and blissfully ignorant girl who goes through verbal abuse from Angela on a daily basis, though it never really affects her. Pamela is shown to be very bright and resourceful when she needs to be, as well as generally aloof to whatever abuse may befall her. It's possible that Pamela is an illegitimate daughter from an affair Ms. Chapley had with Cosmo, and that Kerry knows it but doesn't call Cosmo out on due to a lack of evidence. * Clifford (Brian Drummond): A heavyset bully who's a bother to both the Halloween Kids and the Elites. He often serves as an antagonist whoever he plays a major role, but the rest of the time he acts as a background character. He played a major role in Leech on a Freak where he challenged Colleen to a fight and again in The Not Exactly Dead Zone where he got the plot going by breaking Alison's shades. After the first season, he stopped appearing regularly, but he joined the others in the three-part finale in entering the Detendimension and saving the Halloween Kids. * Helga (Tabitha St. Germain): A fat girl who works a number of odd jobs around Belbury and Belbury Middle School. * Victor Fulton (Peter Oldring): A toady boy with a unibrow and buck teeth. He's a dealer and a prankster who only acts when he knows he could ge away with it. He's within Julie's circle of friends, alongside Emily, Ashley, Fiona, Corky, Jupiter and Bernadette. He often goes into things without thinking and tends to throw his friends into danger to save himself from any trouble. * Thaddeus "Corky" Winthrop (Noel Callahan): '''A timid, often mute boy who is best identified by the fact that he wears a bicycle helmet almost all of the time. It's believed that his weirdest aspect is beneath his helmet, though it's also theorized that his head is soft and it's used for protection. Whenever he speaks, it's usually to sum up whatever happens to his friends or to offer a solution. * '''Selma Slaatsky (Janyse Jaud): The third oldest child in the Slaatsky clan. Selma takes after her father, and tends to be abrasive and crude, inhibiting her from making friends. She is mostly seen helping her father at home and most prevalently at school, where she is somewhat of a bully. Selma is into sports that mainly involve the use of rackets, specifically tennis, badminton and lacrosse, plus she has a hefty appetite. She had a major role in Seldom Selma and was among the kids dismissed from class in Cheatlins. She and Angela become best friends in the former episode. * Bernadette Shunt (Tracey Moore): A girl who always possesses a smug look on her face. She is snarky and sarcastic, particularly to people within her circle, but is mostly quiet everywhere else. She seems to be one of the oldest friends within her circle, having known Victor for years. She doesn't wear socks or shoes. * Sally (Katie Griffin): An anti-authority zealot who's the leader of the school's independent party. She is accepting of her opponents views, but only if they're directed toward kids. She teamed up with Alison and Francis to run through another candidate and get Ms. Chapley fired, but the three give up after learning of the harm they've wrought with their ruthless methods. It's shown that Sally had lived a lonely life and that a lack of friends affected her mentally. When her only friend deserted her, she sought any means to repair her broken relationship and turned to Julie, who took her in. * Gaylord “Sparky” and Brighton Dobson (Peter Kelamis and David Paul Grove respectively): Identical twin nerds. They try to rationalize everything with logic, but get turned away almost every time. Sparky is an obnoxious boy but he is quick to back down in the face of a physical confrontation. Brighton hates confrontation and tries to maintain peace between them and the bullies, but backs down when anyone threatens him. The other kids hardly understand Sparky, so Brighton takes on the role of translator. * Tito Perrino (Danny Wells): Father of Lars. In his prime, he was a very feared man who could ruin anyone's reputation thanks to his influence, but this passed when he got convicted over tax evasion. Beyond his rough exterior, Tito is actually a fairly charitable man and only went after people he felt were a threat to the community. He has willingly taken in people from different social classes and races as his own and granted them positions in the town board and has even helped make sure most of the Stakes were able to get work after their reputations were ruined following the coup against the ancestral Halloween Kids (save for Kerry who only became mayor due to his opponent's disastrous campaign rally.) * Luther Kitrosser (Harvey Atkin): Dolly's adoptive father. Luther was a compulsive gambler who previously exploited the Raven Stakes in order to avoid conviction for financial scandals and to get out of paying owed debts. After encountering Dolly, he takes her in, marries a former acquaintance and is made a part of the Perrino estate. He is seen frequently where the Perrinos and the Binders are present. * Laney Kitrosser (Kathleen Laskey): A former evangelist and a pastor at Belbury's local church. Like Luther she was involved with a number of financial schemes and was actually expelled from her position over it. Her and Luther's relationship stems from that, but both grew to know each other and fully solidify their bond. Her relationship with the other mothers is generally hit or miss, and as a result she isn't regularly included in their endeavors. It's implied that she's closer to Enid and that she's not fond of Amber. * Hope Chapley (Nicole Oliver): A haggard teacher at Belbury Middle School, and an occasional antagonist. Like Kerry, she enforces moralism, but to a far grander, often sinister extent, to the point she's willing to let people die just to teach them a lesson. She was formally married to Kerry (apparently done through a shotgun marriage), but he wound up leaving her. In spite of her profession, Hope vehemently hates children, especially her class, directing it the most to Julie and her friends to the point she tries to get them expelled with her attempts either failing to go anywhere or backfiring when they strike back against her. Her efforts led to her getting fired or her pay getting docked, but she always returns by the start of the next episode. Beyond teaching, Ms. Chapley also does maintenance work around the school. It's implied that she rarely leaves the school, but the circumstances behind this were never confirmed. * Daphne Kadic (Kathleen Barr): Cosmo's estranged wife. She is mentioned frequently in each episode but has never been seen. Details on her life were revealed throughout the series from her childhood to her adult years. As a kid, Daphne was a tomboyish girl who loved flowers and often picked on Cosmo. Both last saw each other in high school when Daphne reportedly got into a motorcycle crash when she went with Kerry for a ride. When she turned 25 she left to join the army but was sent out of the battlefield due to her losing her hand in combat. She took a job as a waitress at a diner and reunited with Cosmo, eventually marrying him and birthing Tommy and Marie. Through the influence of the Headless Inspectre, he possessed Daphnel long enough to make Cosmo angry with her by spewing hateful remarks at him and made her leave him. She was later imprisoned in the Detendimension following a year of serving as a pawn to the specter and put into a comatose-like spell. She was discovered in the finale and was brought back home. Like Cosmo, she also hates Kerry. * Edgar Frost (David Huband): A retired journalist and Alison's uncle. Edgar's relationship with Amber was strained, namely due to their conflicting jobs and the fact that they're rivals by nature (while Amber's Italian, Edgar's Irish). Edgar had no regrets leaving Amber, and often teases her over the fact that he's more well off detached than he was with her, so long as he knew he could get away with it. The two get back together in Everything's Better than Ezra after they're forced to work together, allowing them an opportunity to tackle their fatal flaws. Edgar, like Cosmo, hates Kerry, but to a far grander extent as Edgar shows no reluctance in physically assaulting him. Kerry enables him as he often makes disparaging remarks about Edgar's Irish heritage and pinning him to numerous negative stereotypes. * Nurse Sonja (Jayne Eastwood): A former nurse at Belbury Middle School. She mostly served as a background character with no major roles until The Not Exactly Dead Zone. Sonja is a potential pedophile who latches onto Alison and attempted to groom her, though she managed to rebuff her. Sonja attempted to get rid of all of the students in the school to win Alison over, but is exposed and later fired. Episodes All episodes based of books Pilots Season 1 Season 2 Reception The series initially received mixed reviews, with praise going toward the characters and stories but criticism going toward the overall execution. In the second season, Strange garnered more creative control and the series received a positive reevaluation, praising Strange's off-the-wall approach. Over the years the series earned a cult following and to this day it stands as Strange's best known series. Availability The show was taken off the air in 2004. Since Strange primarily backed the series himself, he was able to maintain the intellectual property rights. Following a deal Strange made with The Orchard through his new venture AlternativeReality.com, he was able to stream the series due to Sony holding the original distribution rights to the show and them owning The Orchard.Category:Fake TV Shows Category:Canadian TV series Category:American TV Series Category:English-language shows Category:Fake TV Shows that air on Real Channels